Stevandic claims RS lawmakers have immunity

“This is the final stage of an imagined operation ‘Laufer,’ where all those representing Republika Srpska with unquestionable credibility and electoral legitimacy will be neutralized. This coincides with an attempt to violently abolish Republika Srpska, with Christian Schmidt providing the alibi for such actions. We do not fear for ourselves personally, but we are concerned about the potential threats to the lives and property of citizens in Republika Srpska. We are being stripped of our right to self-defense, which is the highest right any individual or people possess. It is enshrined in the UN Charter and the European Convention. We will not give up our right to defend ourselves,” said Stevandic.

He also claimed that politicians from the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FBiH) entity had stated the previous day that all RS officials “must be arrested” and that the RSM+NA session “must not take place.”

“What could be a greater attack on the constitutional order than the fact that after such a political campaign, we see the Prosecutor’s Office of BiH acting accordingly? These matters are obviously linked,” he said, adding that he was willing to communicate with the Prosecutor’s Office and had already done so in writing.

“I am certain you are aware that Article 73 of the RS Constitution states that NSRS lawmakers shall not be held criminally or civilly liable for any actions performed within their official capacity. They have immunity and cannot be prosecuted for actions taken in their official duties,” Stevandic stated.

He went on to argue that anyone who summoned or indicted RSNA lawmakers, including himself, had violated both the Constitution of Republika Srpska and the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

“This part of the RS Constitution has never been amended or questioned. It aligns with the laws of both Republika Srpska and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Therefore, the only visible attack on the constitutional order is the assault on NSRS and RS, which are constituent parts of the state structure. Viskovic represents the legislative branch, while Dodik is an executive authority. Both enjoy immunity under RS law, as confirmed by the RS Constitutional Court. However, the BiH Constitutional Court nullified the immunity law, meaning that RS officials are now subjected to persecution within the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, even though RS laws protect its institutions,” he continued.

Stevandic also referred to legislation that refuses to recognize rulings from what he termed the “crippled Constitutional Court of BiH.”

“Not only are we speaking the truth peacefully, but we are also in the right,” he insisted.

“To be in the right in Bosnia and Herzegovina means to be persecuted. Those inciting violence, calling for the arrest of political opponents, demanding the destruction of an entire people and their Republika Srpska, openly violating the constitutional order and the Dayton Agreement, are protected. Meanwhile, their campaign is aimed at undermining our human and political rights—our right to live—since we are constantly the targets of life-threatening threats,” Stevandic warned.

The Prosecutor's Office of Bosnia and Herzegovina has ordered the judicial police to detain Milorad Dodik, President of Republika Srpska, along with RS Prime Minister Radovan Viskovic and NSRS President Nenad Stevandic, according to an official confirmation from the RS government.

They are accused of committing the criminal offense of “undermining the constitutional order.”

The BiH Prosecutor's Office issued the detention order to the judicial police and requested assistance from the RS Ministry of Interior, as well as the State Investigation and Protection Agency (SIPA).